"Crosby is one of those young people, and rightly so, that the league is promoting as the example of the new NHL and that, and when he turns -- I'm sure he's on camera quite often -- using the language he does, I don't think it's something you should do, that's all."

Right buddy. So because Sid is the best player in the league he's not permitted to get a little heated under the collar and let a f-bomb loose from time to time? If I was receiving a cheap shot once a month and held on a regular basis I would also be letting a few f-bombs loose from time to time.

"Crosby is one of those young people, and rightly so, that the league is promoting as the example of the new NHL and that, and when he turns -- I'm sure he's on camera quite often -- using the language he does, I don't think it's something you should do, that's all."

Right buddy. So because Sid is the best player in the league he's not permitted to get a little heated under the collar and let a f-bomb loose from time to time? If I was receiving a cheap shot once a month and held on a regular basis I would also be letting a few f-bombs loose from time to time.

"Crosby is one of those young people, and rightly so, that the league is promoting as the example of the new NHL and that, and when he turns -- I'm sure he's on camera quite often -- using the language he does, I don't think it's something you should do, that's all."

Right buddy. So because Sid is the best player in the league he's not permitted to get a little heated under the collar and let a f-bomb loose from time to time? If I was receiving a cheap shot once a month and held on a regular basis I would also be letting a few f-bombs loose from time to time.

NEW YORK -- The Penguins brought in Nils Ekman last summer to be a top-six forward, and he was on Sidney Crosby's left wing when the regular season began.

The Penguins clearly expected very good, if not great, things from him after sending a second-round draft choice to San Jose for Ekman and goaltending prospect Patrick Ehelechner July 20.

But, in a season in which the Penguins -- and many of their players -- have exceeded all reasonable expectations, Ekman has been a major disappointment. And, more to the point, become pretty much of a non-factor.

He has dressed for one of the past 36 games (he missed the first 28 of those because of a dislocated elbow) and, heading into the Penguins' game against the New York Islanders at 7:38 p.m. tomorrow at Nassau Coliseum, has six goals and nine assists in 33 games.

That puts him 15th in the team scoring race, a four points ahead of defensive defenseman Rob Scuderi and still comfortably in front of goalies Marc-Andre Fleury and Jocelyn Thibault.

His most eye-catching stat, though, is a plus-minus rating of minus-14, easily is the team's worst and a surprise for a player regarded as a solid two-way performer.

Ekman's personal statistics undoubtedly have suffered because he has not been involved in the Penguins' surge toward the top of the Eastern Conference during the past few months, but the fact that they have done it without getting anything from Ekman says something, too.

Coincidentally or otherwise, the Penguins are 13-14-6 when Ekman plays. His is the only player whose presence in the Penguins' lineup is linked to a losing record (aside from defenseman Joel Kwiatkowski, who has dressed for one game since being acquired from Florida).

Ekman acknowledged that he had hoped to have a more productive season, but focused mostly on the elbow injury he got Dec. 29.

"You can't help that you get injured," he said. "It's part of the game."

So is losing your place in the lineup when you don't perform to expectations, which means Ekman is a near-lock to spend the Islanders' game in street clothes.

The Penguins have won five of their past six games and, even though some players' games aren't fully in sync -- first-line right winger Mark Recchi, for example, does not have a goal in 14 games -- there is no obvious candidate to lose his spot to Ekman.

"He's in a position right now where other guys are getting a chance and they're doing the job," assistant coach Mike Yeo said.

Ekman's only appearance since he was injured came March 6 during a 5-4 shootout victory in Ottawa. He played seven minutes, 58 seconds, did not record a point or a shot and was a minus-1.

Until coach Michel Therrien decides to reconfigure his lineup, Ekman's time on the ice will be limited to practices and game-day skates. He and a handful of other rarely used players such as Chris Thorburn, Ronald Petrovicky and Kwiatkowski, along with Thibault and injured defenseman Mark Eaton, were the only players to skate the morning of the Penguins' 2-1 loss at Madison Square Garden Monday.

"He's out of the lineup, but I have to say that I'm very impressed with his attitude out on the ice," Yeo said. "He works hard every day, and I know that if he continues that and gets his chance, he'll get a good shot."

Ekman isn't just trying to keep an edge on his game with his work during practices; he's looking to shake the lingering effects of the injury he got when he went into the boards awkwardly after a collision with Toronto forward Matt Stajan.

"I still have work to do to get my arm stronger," Ekman said. "I consider myself healthy [enough] to play, and I am healthy to play, but I'm not where I should be."

Whatever else might be motivating him, Ekman, who is 31 and being paid $1.1 million this season, has a financial incentive to claim a spot in the lineup, because he will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

The Penguins have given no hint of their plans for him, but it's far from certain that they'd invest a seven-figure salary in someone who can't crack the lineup.

Especially one who was expected to contribute so much, but has done so little.

NOTES -- The Penguins, who had yesterday off, will work out at the New York Rangers' former practice facility in Rye, N.Y., today and will conduct their game-day skate at the Islanders' practice rink tomorrow morning. Nassau Coliseum will not be available then because of a Justin Timberlake concert there tonight.

Enter Dana Heinze, the Penguins' equipment manager who replaced longtime manager Steve Latin over the summer after general manager Ray Shero took over.

Heinze, a Johnstown native, makes it his personal mission to make sure that the Penguins players feel as at home on the road as possible.

So, everywhere the team goes, Heinze spends at least a half hour hanging signs with Penguins logos everywhere he can -- on the doors, on the walls in the hallway, on the walls of the dressing room, everywhere. Most NHL teams don't hang their players' names above their stalls on the road.

Not only will the Penguins players have their names over their stalls, but the coaches' room will have a label on it with a Penguins logo, as will the training room and the video room.

Heinze also hangs signs bearing the slogans that are prominent around Mellon Arena; sayings such as "Attention to detail," "Pride," "Respect," "Commitment," and "Together Everyone Achieves More."

"When we go on the road, I try to make their experience as comfortable as possible," Heinze said. "I want them to walk in and see the Penguins logos everywhere. It really does dress up all the visiting locker rooms and I like it. I wouldn't do it if I didn't like it."

Heinze has been hanging signs and trying to make visiting rooms a little homier since he was the equipment manager for the East Coast Hockey League's Johnstown Chiefs, with whom he got his start in 1988.

"I'm proud of it," Heinze said. "I've never had my own team guys say, 'This is stupid,' but some of the other trainers always thought I was crazy for doing it. It bugged me at first, but now I just think they're jealous. I don't care because we have such a nice set-up. You walk down the hall (in Philadelphia), and they have a big Philadelphia Flyers logo on the wall. Who wants to look at that? So, we cover it up. And the players walk in and see their name in their stall and that's big for them. It's all about treating them first class."

On game days on the road, Heinze and assistants Paul DeFazio and Danny Kroll are usually at the rink by 6 a.m.

"I just like to have everything the Pittsburgh way, the way we do it," Heinze said. "I just like the time before the players get here to have everything right."

That dedication does not go unnoticed by the players, who have only five fewer wins on the road (18) than at home (23) this season.

"Dana, Paulie and Danny are workaholics. They don't stop," Mark Recchi said. "Guys don't have to think about anything but playing. They make it that easy for us, and it's great. I don't know how they do it."

Heinze also renovated the Penguins' dressing room over the summer. He's still making improvements to the room, including hanging photos of every Penguins team over the years and highlighting the teams that won the Stanley Cup in 1991 and 1992.

"It was a fresh start, that's kind of the way we looked at it," Sidney Crosby said of the changes to the home room. "We had a tough year last year, but we were coming into some new renovations, a new look on the team and a new look in the room. It's about pride and respect and that showed a lot. It's everybody in the organization, it's not just the players, it's everyone involved. They're a part of that and they do a great job."

The Penguins had the day off Tuesday after finishing a stretch of five games in seven nights, including back-to-back games Sunday at home and Monday on the road. Seven of their last 10 games before Monday night went to overtime.

"We've played a lot of hockey, but we're all in great shape and it's really not an issue," Mark Recchi, 39, said. "We've got a couple good days before we play three (games) in four (nights) again and we've got to take advantage of these couple days. Have a good practice (today) and make sure we have a good attitude going into these last nine games and really make a good run here and go into the playoffs feeling good about ourselves."

? Jaromir Jagr's game-winning goal Monday night ended a drought of eight games without a goal. Jagr earned five scoring titles while playing for the Penguins. Now 35 years old, Jagr is ranked 11th in the league with 85 points this season (25 goals, 60 assists), 23 points behind league-leader Sidney Crosby.

"I'm not 24 (years old) chasing records anymore," Jagr said after the game. "My goal is to make the playoffs. Right now, it doesn't matter as long as we win."

? Evgeni Malkin ended a season-long eight-game goal drought March 8, when he scored in two games in a row. He's now on a five-game goal drought, his second-longest of the season.

? The Penguins gave up 42 shots-against Monday night, making it only the seventh time this season they've given up more than 40 shots in a game and the first time since Feb. 1 against the Montreal Canadiens. The Penguins are 3-2-2 when allowing more than 40 shots-against in a game.

Digits

41 - Total number of shots for the Penguins in the past two games.

77 - Total number of shots against the Penguins in the past two games.

Jaromir Jagr's game-winning goal Monday night ended a drought of eight games without a goal. Jagr earned five scoring titles while playing for the Penguins. Now 35 years old, Jagr is ranked 11th in the league with 85 points this season (25 goals, 60 assists), 23 points behind league-leader Sidney Crosby.

"I'm not 24 (years old) chasing records anymore," Jagr said after the game. "My goal is to make the playoffs. Right now, it doesn't matter as long as we win."

Jealousy really is an ugly emotion. Instead of praising Crosby for his sensational play and hard work on the ice, they want to try and tear him down at every opportunity. Kudos to Sid for not allowing this crap to get to him, and continuing to wreak havoc on opposing teams.

Pens' Crosby denies swearing at Ottawa's Murray

By Karen Price
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, March 22, 2007

RYE, N.Y. - Penguins star Sidney Crosby doesn't want to get into a war of words with Ottawa Senators coach Bryan Murray.

But Crosby was emphatic Wednesday when he said he did not swear at Murray during the game between the two teams Sunday, an accusation made by the Senators coach.

"He should get his facts straight," Crosby said after the Penguins practiced at the Rye Playland ice arena. "I wasn't even talking to him. If he's going to say anything, he should be honest and say what he said and move on. If he doesn't want to do that, if he wants to start something with me, I'm not going to be a part of it. If he wants to say stuff, he should get his facts straight."

In published reports Tuesday out of Ottawa, Murray was quoted as saying, "He's one of those young people, and rightly so, that the league is really promoting as the example of the new NHL. When he turns, and I'm sure he's on camera quite often, using the language he does, I don't think that's something he should do. That's all."

Murray told reporters he was yelling at referee Don Koharski, saying that Crosby took a dive on a play in which Mike Comrie was penalized. Murray said Crosby then turned and yelled at him.

Crosby doesn't deny exchanging words with one of the Senators players on the bench. The 19-year-old star and leading scorer in the NHL said that perhaps Murray heard that exchange and was sticking up for his player. But Crosby said he wasn't even looking at Murray when the incident happened.

"Why would I yell at Bryan Murray?" Crosby said. "That's what I want to know."

It's not the first time an opposing coach has criticized Crosby.

Last season, it was then-Philadelphia Flyers head coach Ken Hitch****, who called Crosby a diver. This season, New York Islanders coach Ted Nolan accused Crosby of the same thing.

The Penguins play the Islanders tonight at Nassau Coliseum.

Although criticism of Crosby is nothing new, it still surprised teammate Mark Recchi that it came from Murray.

"Obviously, we know Sid's a top player in this league, and he's going to be a focal point, but when people keep attacking the person, it doesn't make any sense to me at all," Recchi said. "Especially when it's a person like Bryan Murray, who's been around a long time and should know better than that. It's pretty sad when stuff like that happens.

"I know Bryan. He's a nice man. I don't know why he would even start something like that."

One theory, of course, is that it's almost time for the playoffs, and for the last month the Penguins and Senators have been lined up to play each other in the first round.

The Penguins, who occupy fifth place in the Eastern Conference, and the Senators, who are in fourth, play one more time before the regular season ends. The April 5 game in Ottawa could determine home-ice advantage.

"People are always trying to get an edge," Recchi said. "Up in Canada, everything's a focal point and, for whatever reason, things get blown out of proportion."

"I'm sure we're going to have enough time to talk about Bryan Murray in the next week or so," Therrien said. "I'm never going to appreciate a coach talking to one of my players. Let the players get emotionally involved in a game. Coaches have to coach. When I see a coach trying to get involved emotionally with one of my players, I'm going to step up. ... Let the players play. Let the coaches coach."